A Few More Estuarine Delights.

Conder Pool came good again on Monday, and with apologies for rabbiting on about the Ruff, and a promise to try and never mention it again, it/one has finally run the 12 month course for the first time ever around the Lune Estuary.

There was up to 20 Avocet on Conder Pool, and the impressive sight of up to 900 Icelandic Back-tailed Godwit, some in near stunning rufous summer plumage, they were accompanied by a 'few' Knot, also 3 Little Ringed Plover, and a Greenshank.

When I called in 4 hours later on the estuary at Glasson, presumably the Conder Pool near 1,000 Black-tailed Godwit were present with c.250 Knot, 4 Avocet seen, and a Great Crested Grebe was to note.

Despite the routine circuit at Cockersand, nothing riveting to note, but c.40 Linnet were accompanied by a lone Reed Bunting, flighty in and around the stubble field, with 2 Stock Dove, 13 Eider were off Plover Scar. Insects to note here, I saw my first 3 Small Tortoiseshell and a Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

You Can Help The Birds.

Don't worry about the birds, they can look after themselves, even if they can't rest and conserve energy when the tide is high, or feed and even breed on Plover Scar like the Ringed Plover on the notice board does.   

Just carry on and do your birding and taking piks....Enjoy!

Moths.

Ian Mitchell does the decent thing and sends me brilliant images of brilliant moths in his trap two days in a row.

Hebrew Character. Ian Mitchell.

Early Thorn. Ian Mitchell.

And Finally.

Red Kite. Martin Jump.

Martin calls this image 'a poor distant one' of the Red Kite yesterday in Bowland. I call it an excellent record of one....Thanks Martin.

And I can record 2 Ring Ouzel yesterday in Bowland.

High As A Kite!

Hard to believe I didn't get up Hawthornthwaite Fell this summer, the last and only time I was there was 22 April when I found none, but I derived great pleasure in finding 3 Stonechat at Hawthornthwaite yesterday, also a decent count of 22 Red Grouse and a Wren to note.

Red Kite Noushka @ 1000-Pattes Clik the pik

As I reached to top of the hill at Cam Brow, turning a bend I was confronted by a large raptor on a carcass in the road, the bird took off the minute it saw the car and flew north toward Abbeystead. I pulled off the road to walk back to see if I could find the bird, but it had disappeared, but soon came into view again flying south towards Hawthornthwaite Fell, it was a Red Kite. I'm grateful to Noushka for the excellent image of this stunning bird. 

At least 100 Chaffinch seen today. Walking up the track toward White Moor from Tower Lodge, c.40 were up and down out of the trees and onto the track, I found just 2 Brambling with them. Later another flock of at least 60 seen in the road east of Tower Lodge, this time up and down between the traffic with just one Brambling seen with them.

Good numbers in excess of 200 Fieldfare seen on the day, with estimates of at least 40 at Isle of Skye Farm, probably 100 at Fellside Farm seen from a moving car, and 70 in the Tower Lodge area. A Dipper was the only bird seen on the Marshaw Wyre. 

Marshaw Wyre Bowland. Pete Woodruff. Clik the pik 

Shoot!

I watched the murky drizzle from the window all day last Wednesday in the hope it might move on for me to get out a while....it didn't. 

Checking out the stats, I discovered the petition to Ban Driven Grouse Shooting is well on it's way to failure with just 12 more weeks to run, having collected a little over a miserable 23,000 signatures out of the minimum requirement of 100,000 needed for the government to consider a debate, and that's seriously worrying. So I did some searching to find out about last years shoots on the English grouse moors.

I've no idea about this years 'sports news', but I did discover in 2014 the tweed brigade found much excitement in realising the numbers of Red Grouse - particularly in Bowland - were judged to be higher than at any time since the 1990's, and the shooting season began with over 800 birds shot in a single beat on a single day on one estate on the 'Glorious Twelfth', this same estate has the distinction of shooting a massive 5,000 Red Grouse in just it's first few shoot days in 2014....yes that's 5,000 Red Grouse shot on one estate. 

Mark Avery who's quest to save the Hen Harrier had him start the petition to Ban Driven Grouse Shooting, actually doesn't mind grouse shooting and has no opposition to the sport....well he did work for the RSPB. So as I see it, Mr Avery wants to dictate to the shooting fraternity, not to stop shooting Red Grouse, but where, when, and how to do it....there's a joke somewhere there isn't there.

So the summary is....

Mr Avery doesn't mind people getting kicks out of shooting other wild birds, but wants them to stop shooting birds of prey like the Hen Harrier because he thinks they are such brilliant and majestic creatures and - unlike the Red Grouse -  there's not many of them left to stir emotions....Well, there's another joke there too isn't there. 

These 'sportsmen' including their American friends who spend thousands of pounds to come to 'shoot in the best place on earth' as one of them put it recently, won't have any of this dictatorship, and as a result raptor persecution will continue to be the side salad in this whole warped industry.

I signed The Petition ages ago....did you/will you?

For the 'coming in to land' header of the family party of two adult and two immature Whooper Swans....Excellent, and many thanks Gary.

Red Sky On The Black Isle. 

If you have another 12 minutes to spare, you might like to watch and listen to this excellent video on the same subject of raptor persecution.

We Will Win.

Red Kite Brian Rafferty 

Seven months ago 16 Red Kites and 6 Buzzards were found poisoned at Conon Bridge in Ross-shire, Scotland. The police have recently put out a press release about their investigations on this incident, the headline of which reads....

'Following investigations Police Scotland can now confirm that the birds were most likely not targeted deliberately but instead were the victims of pest control measures'.

Buzzard Jan Larsson 

OK....So now you have to ask yourself, how can this CONFIRMATION be possible without a confession from whoever laid out the poison baits to know that they had done so to target legitimate pests, or to target raptors. In any case the only legitimate method of poisoning 'pests' is by the controlled use of rodenticides, the substance used in this case was the banned Carbofuran, illegal even to posses let alone use.

Though this is an ongoing investigation and - as is always the case - we only know what we are told about this one, it's difficult to know who is set to gain from this ridiculous, unbelievable, and worrying press release from the police in Scotland. But I've been in touch with a man at RSPB Scotland who has given me his take and involvement with this issue in confidence, and I'm now much more in the know about this first hand, and from other angles which I have read about. 

But the fact remains....Birds of prey continue to be persecuted in alarming numbers, and whilst this goes on and we can read and hear about the kind of response from the very people who are charged with protecting them by bringing the perpetrators of these crimes to account, persecution will never be brought to an end.

Meanwhile the call cried out 'WE WILL WIN' following the Hen Harrier Day this summer, carries much more confidence than I have whilst I continue to read about the massacre of 22 raptors in Ross-shire and the kind of resulting comments from the police during the investigation period.

On a lighter note....

I see a report of a new all time high of 20 Little Grebe on Conder Pool last Sunday. And a walk through Williamson's Park on the same day had me finding a Little Grebe in the old Moor Hospital reservoir at Fenham Carr, where I had seen it/another almost twelve months ago on Monday 18 November 2013.

Thanks to Brian and Jan for the excellent 'clik the pik' images.

In Response.

Until I get the time to do a write up on what I saw and didn't see yesterday, I thought you might be interested in reading this evasive and pathetic response to the petition to ban driven grouse shooting. 

I'm afraid it's a little lengthy and perhaps not everyone will last the course to read it but please try to so that you can see just how pathetic and evasive it really is from the office of DEFRA. You will see it mentions that four pairs of Hen Harrier have successfully bred in England in 2014. So instead of the English Hen Harrier breeding population being at 0.9% of its biological potential we now know that it is at 1.2% of its biological potential. WOW....how we should be joyful and celebrate.

  

Dear Peter Woodruff The e-petition 'Ban driven grouse shooting' signed by you recently reached 16,828 signatures. As this e-petition has received more than 10,000 signatures, the relevant Government department have provided the following response.... It has been estimated that £250 million per year is spent on management activities that provide significant benefits for conservation. Shooting makes an important contribution to the rural economy. When carried out in accordance with the law, shooting for sport is a legitimate activity, and our position is that people should be free to undertake lawful activities should they wish to do so. Landowners are free to manage wildlife on their land, provided it is carried out appropriately and legally, in accordance with any the relevant wildlife legislation. Hen Harriers It is encouraging to learn that there are four Hen Harrier nests this year which have chicks, given that in 2013 there were no known Hen Harrier fledglings in England. Some of these fledglings will be tracked with satellite tags we have funded. The Uplands Stakeholder Forum Hen Harrier Sub-group was set up in 2012 with senior representatives from organisations best placed to take action to address the decline in Hen Harriers. These include Natural England, the Moorland Association, the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, the National Parks Authority and the RSPB. Defra welcomes the involvement of all parties. The Sub-group has developed a draft Joint Action Plan containing a suite of complementary actions intended to contribute to the recovery of the Hen Harrier population in England. We are working with Sub-group members to finalise the Plan. Illegal killing of birds of prey The killing of birds of prey is illegal, all wild birds being protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Anyone who kills or injures a wild bird is committing an offence and could face jail if convicted. Bird of prey persecution is one of the six UK wildlife crime priorities. The England and Wales Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group leads on action to address these crimes through prevention, intelligence and enforcement activity. The National Wildlife Crime Unit gathers intelligence on illegal activities affecting birds of prey, providing assistance to police forces when required. Earlier this year the Government confirmed that the Home Office and Defra would together provide funding until 2016, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to tackling wildlife crime. Alongside this, there have been successful conservation measures which have led to increases in Buzzard, Peregrine and Red Kite populations over the last two decades. Peatland In February 2013 we, along with the devolved administrations, made a statement of intent to protect and enhance the natural capital provided by peatlands in the UK. In September 2013 the Pilot Peatland Code was launched with the aim of promoting the restoration of UK peatland through business investment. It is intended that the Code will assure restoration delivers tangible benefits for climate change alongside other benefits such as restoring habitats for protected species and improving water quality. The last decade has seen increasing numbers of conservation initiatives (such as Nature Improvement Areas and Sites of Special Scientific Interest) many of which are focussed on peatland restoration in the UK. We are working with a wide range of partners on peatland restoration, including land owners and environmental NGOs. Rural Development Programme We are committed to helping create a more sustainable future for the English uplands, which are endowed with natural assets that are important for delivering a range of valuable “ecosystem services”, including food and fibre, water regulation, carbon storage, biodiversity, and recreational opportunities for health and well being. We will be investing over £3 billion in agri-environment schemes (Environmental Stewardship and its successor) in the next Rural Development Programme 2015-2020. Addressing loss of biodiversity will be a priority for the new Programme. In addition funding will look to maximise opportunities to deliver biodiversity, water quality and flooding benefits together. Defra is working with a wide range of interests to finalise scheme details in good time for 2015.  This e-petition remains open to signatures and will be considered for debate by the Backbench Business Committee should it pass the 100,000 signature threshold.

Hi Ho....Hi Ho....

....its off to work birding we go!

Barbondale actually, primarily to check out the Pied Flycatcher situation there as the visit on 29 April produced only two birds - a male and female - and I was hoping for some improvement on that score three weeks later.

In fact I found 4 Pied Flycatcher, being three male and a female. Also noted from the 24 species seen in the five hours spent here and about, a Cuckoo called around a half dozen times during my visit, but as on 29 April I failed to locate the bird. 

Redstart. Phillip Tomkinson.

I saw only 3 Redstart, discovered a Nuthatch going into a nest hole, and discovered the same for two nest hole Blue Tits, a Great-spotted Woodpecker put in an appearance four times, a Song Thrush and 4 Mistle Thrush were noted, a Grey Wagtail was on the beck, and a Buzzard and Kestrel overhead. 

In keeping with my recent lack of connecting with the species, I saw/heard no more than 6 Willow Warbler and compared these to last year on 30 April when my little black book notes....'at least fifteen Willow Warbler seen'.

Red Kite. Phillip Tomkinson.

I had info from two independent birders I saw, of a Red Kite briefly on the skyline above the ridge....Shuks! 

On my way back to Lancaster I gave my last thirty minutes of the day to the River Lune at Bull Beck where there appears to be a small but healthy looking Sand Martin colony, with a Common Sandpiper seen, and c.20 Goldfinch around. There was no sign of any Little Ringed Plover here where I found five one day in June last year.

Stonechats.

Adult/Juvenile Stonechat. Ana Minguez.

I have excellent news of Stonechats seen with young over the weekend by the most active and reliable upland birder I know, found at Catshaw, Marshaw, Trough Bank, Hareden, and Pendle. Many thanks JW....I'm obviously not doing my birding justice at this rate.

For the excellent Redstart and Red Kite images, thanks to PT at Wild Snaps and for the equally excellent Stonechats, many thanks to AM at NATURANAFOTOS  

A Message From Above!

I'm struggling for time to do a post about my birding efforts on Monday. Meanwhile, here's the gap filler.... 

Any comments from me below are in bold type, or in blue where I think some notable statements are made within the message which was in my Inbox this morning.   

As this e-petition has received more than 10,000 signatures, the relevant government department - DEFRA - have provided the following response.

The Government is aware of incidences of illegal killing of birds of prey and ministers take the issue very seriously. To address this, senior Government and enforcement officers in the UK identified raptor persecution as a national wildlife crime priority. Raptor persecution is subject to a prevention, intelligence, enforcement and reassurance plan led by a senior police officer through the Raptor Persecution Delivery group. The National Wildlife Crime Unit, which is funded by the Government, monitors and gathers intelligence on illegal activities affecting birds of prey and provides assistance to police forces when required. Shooting makes an important contribution to wildlife control and conservation, biodiversity and to the social, economic and environmental well-being of rural areas, where it can provide a supplement to incomes and jobs. The overall environmental and economic impact of game bird shooting is therefore a positive one and it has been estimated by the industry that £250 million per year is spent on management activities that provide benefits for conservation. When carried out in accordance with the law, shooting for sport is a legitimate activity and our position is that people should be free to undertake lawful activities. There are no current plans to restrict sport shooting in England. This Government encourages all shoot managers and owners to ensure they and their staff are following recommended guidelines and best practice to reduce the chances of a conflict of interest with birds of prey. We acknowledge that crimes against birds of prey are abhorrent but it should be noted though that, despite instances of poisoning and killing of birds of prey, populations of many species, such as the Peregrine Falcon, Red Kite and Buzzard have increased. While a small minority is prepared to kill birds of prey, and where possible these people are brought to justice, this demonstrates that the policies in place to conserve these species are working. This e-petition remains open to signatures and will be considered for debate by the Backbench Business Committee should it pass the 100,000 signature threshold.

A lot to say about all this garbage but I'll keep it brief....

This could well have been written by the Countryside Alliance....But in a nutshell, DEFRA thinks that conservation policies for birds of prey are working well - they appear to have forgotten about the Hen Harrier - and thus they have no intention of restricting sport shooting in England, or doing anything about those in the industry who kill anything which gets in the way of it's success. 

Take a look at the government’s wildlife policies of late....Badgers, Buzzards, Bees, Fracking….Time to start thinking about the elections in 2015 and who your vote goes to.

Thought you may like to see a bird of prey named Bowland Betty, a young satellite-tracked Hen Harrier found shot dead on a North Yorkshire grouse moor in 2012.

The Anniversary....

....and something a bit more serious.

It wasn't until I got on to the coastal path over the old railway bridge at Conder Green yesterday that I suddenly realised the date was 14 August and it was exactly 10 years ago to the day since the White-winged Black Tern was found quartering the marsh here on 14 August 2003.

White-winged Black Tern ARKive 

The bird was a superb moulting adult which went on to frequent the salt-marsh between Conder Green and Glasson Dock for ten days until last seen on 24 August, it also graced Conder Pool on more than one occasion to add its name to the good selection of excellent records on this brilliant little pool which was in its infancy when this stunner appeared on there. During its stay this bird went on to be observed as being particularly adept at catching butterflies, in the main being Small Tortoiseshell but with other flying insects too.

The White-winged Black Tern breeds in Eastern Europe, eastwards to China, it winters in Africa and in the Far East, through Indonesia to northern Australia. 

But now it gets serious....

Marks and Spencer are launching the sale of whole Red Grouse at two trial stores in London, the first high street retailer to do so. So here the question is....how will Marks and Spencer assure their customers that their Red Grouse have been responsibly sourced from grouse moors that are not poisoning, shooting, and trapping protected species such as the Hen Harrier, Red Kite, Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, Goshawk, and lots of other wildlife which get in the way of this 'sporting industry'.

You might like to read THIS noting one of the moors the grouse are to be sourced from are the North Yorkshire Moors which happens to be one of the worst hotspots for raptor persecution in the country. You may also like to get in touch with M and S about this issue....I did.

What a way to earn a living....

....Title taken from the 9 to 5 Dolly Parton hit song. Don't like her or the song, can't stand wailing Country and Western stuff, but that's another matter!

Well you can't take a look at this guy 'cos I aint got a pic of him and if I had I wouldn't be publishing it on Birds2blog, nor have I any intention of putting his name on here either, but....I do have a picture of a beautiful Buzzard which I have great delight in posting on Birds2blog.

Buzzard. Copy Permitted. 

As for this fella....well he's from Cumbria, his occupation is that of a gamekeeper - what a way to earn a living - who is involved on land managed by a private shooting syndicate also in Cumbria. OK, are you sitting comfortable....then we'll begin.

He actually pleaded guilty to charges of the killing of Buzzards. A cage trap containing five live Buzzards was found by members of the public. I've found these traps many is the time in the Forest of Bowland and elsewhere, for the record I object to them. The traps were on land managed by the shoot, but unfortunately I have to say, these traps are lawful and are used to control certain 'corvid species'. However the rules are, if any non-target species get caught in these traps they must be released as soon as possible unharmed.

A covert camera was set up at the trap site the day following this discovery and....bingo, the footage showed this very gamekeeper in Cumbria engaged in what he's truly paid to do when he was seen to enter the trap and - be warned this is when it becomes nasty - commenced beating two Buzzards to death with a wooden stick which he did calmly as if it was a routine operation to him.

A subsequent search of the trap site revealed the remains of other Buzzards clearly indicating that the killing of these birds at this site had become a regular practice. What sounds like another tasteless pun - but really isn't - here's the sting in the tail....This guy got off with a 70-day jail sentence, concurrent on each charge, but wait for it....suspended for 12 months.

Little wonder people bring themselves to make comments like, 'he should have had a suspended sentence alright....from a gallows'. My personal opinion is that I think these sentences in cases like this one actually go to encourage these people to continue to practice their evil acts, they certainly don't discourage them, and I think you'd be hard pushed to deny me that one.

OK....lets brighten up and lighten up the blog with a brilliant image of an equally brilliant bird....

Red Kite Brian Rafferty     

Thank you for this BR, like I said....BRILLIANT.

I'D SOONER BE BIRDING!

Can't get out birding....

....but this is funny - though the subject matter isn't - but it fills my bird-less gap on Birds2blog.

The Modern Poisoners Society.

The  Modern Poisoners Society  walked off  with the  top prize  at last  night’s  annual Pinocchio Awards, held at a glittering ceremony on a hillside in an Angus glen.

The judging panel, exclusively made up this year by members of the Modern Poisoner Employers Society, said the decision was unanimous, and universal.

A spokesman for the panel, millionaire Sir Gideon Marmaduke Sinclair-Clementine said: 'We are delighted to recognise the winners capability to fabricate stories, often in the face of what might seem to be blindingly obvious truths. The fact that we employ these truth-distorters had no bearing whatsoever on our decision. They are universally the best liars this world has ever seen, and that’s no word of a lie'.

A spokesman for the Modern Poisoners Society, Carbofuran Campbell said: 'It’s great to get such universal recognition. We’ve made up shit for years and it’s gratifying that it’s finally been noticed. Thanks very much'.

A spokesman for the Royal Bird Protection Society said: 'For f****s sake, they told us they would acknowledge us in their acceptance speech, the fact they didn't just shows what untrustworthy lying bastards they are. Raptor Persecution Scotland 

This is  where  the  above 'fun' stops  and it  gets  serious.

Three  appropriate  images - don't forget to 'clik the piks' - all  victims  of  the  above members  of  the  MPS,  with  a  history  of   persecution  and  slaughter by  people  with dark and  tiny troubled  minds  still  living  in the Dark Ages.

Buzzard. Gary Jones.

The excellent soaring Buzzard, thanks to Gary....

Golden Eagle. Antonio Puigg. 

The stunning Golden Eagle, thanks to Antonio ....

Red Kite. Noushka Dufort. 

And the brilliant Red Kite, thanks to Noushka

What 2012?

On a personal level and from a birding perspective, with talk of 2012 being the wettest year since records began, and 'other things' overwhelming me to make my birding days at an absolute minimum, this year will go down in my history book as being by far the worst since the day I discovered the difference between a Wren and a Golden Eagle about 250 years ago and have been birding ever since. And so I have no particular interest in reviewing a year I'd rather sooner forget in birding terms.

But doing my daily trawl through the internet yesterday I came across several photographs which took my breath away, though nothing really new there as I find them all the time. It is for this reason I should look back at 2012, and instead of reviewing the birds I've barely had the chance to see/find, I should thank my lucky stars I found and got to know something like 24 excellent photographer/birders in the UK, America, Spain, and France who all willingly gave me permission to post their images on Birdsblog in order to enhance it no end. On ocassions I've been in touch with all of these people and they with me, some of whom have forwarded me stunning pictures unsolicited for which I'm truly grateful. But theres another side to this arrangement, and 'spyware' I have in place on my computer tells me that all these people in turn get some good numbers of visitors to their own websites by having had their photographs published on Birds2blog. So the set up here then is....we're all winners in the best possible way.

Red Kite. Ana Minguez.

One of the first images I found yesterday was of the Red Kite with thanks to Ana Minguez 

Golden Eagle. Antonio Puigg

So I decided to look for a couple more raptor images to put up on this 'gap in my birding' filler and found another stunner in this one of the magnificent Golden Eagle thanks this time to Antonio Puigg 

Marsh Harrier. Phillip Tomkinson.

And finally, the third of these magnificent three, the brilliant juvenile Marsh Harrier with another thanks going to Phillip Tomkinson 

I'D SOONER BE BIRDING....But the weather continues to have other ideas and I just have this feeling it could well be 2013 before I do. But one thing for sure, next year is going to be turn around year for me and its back to 'business as usual' as far as I'm concerned, I need the birds....watch me!

The Golden Opportunity.

Oh no, here he goes again, fed up with not getting in the birding he'd like to so goes into a rant about raptor persecution....well if needs be. 

Golden Eagle

Apparently there is a once-in-a-lifetime 'Golden Opportunity' to tackle the illegal killing of birds of prey and the Coalition and Welsh Governments must not waste it. Well, this is the message from the RSPB as it publishes its annual wildlife figures which will show another full year of shooting, trapping, and poisoning. 

With enough English uplands to support 300 pairs of Hen Harriers, it is beyond belief that just one pair bred in this year of 2012, and no....I've not just made a typing error, just one pair, this species is on the brink of extinction as a breeding bird in England and you'd be kidding yourself to think the cause is anything other than illegal killing.  

Pole Trap

I find it hard to believe anyone would set up a trap like the one above to kill any animal for any reason, but then I have to believe this otherwise I'm obviously an out of touch idiot. This is just one tool in the mighty armoury of these people. There....I just maintained some diplomacy and called them 'people'.

So the RSPB believe this is a 'Golden Opportunity' not to be missed with a review of wildlife protection legislation currently being consulted. Apparently the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, and a re-organisation of the police service, plus the creation of a National Crime Agency will all provide further opportunities to prioritise wildlife crime....bloody hell, this is looking good!

But on the 'downhill' again....its been over a hundred years since the poisoning of wild birds was outlawed in the UK, but the slaughter of birds of prey - like the Golden Eagle pictured above - along with Red Kites, Peregrine Falcons, Buzzards and more, is still rife and those who want rid of these birds and other wildlife are in plentiful number, and continue to enjoy the apparent freedom to do so. 

I'm shutting up now, and make no further personal comments on all this.

So as not to overdo it, just two brilliant photographs to end with this time....a bird and the moth.

Short-eared Owl Christian Thompson 

A superb shot of the Short-eared Owl which Christian stumbled upon in the Peak District recently. Owls are his passion especially when he gets the opportunity to photograph them like this one. Take a close look at what this bird is perched on....looks like the circumference of no more than a five pence piece....Thanks Christian.

Beautiful Marbled Ian Kimber 

And the brilliant moth, the Beautiful Marbled. The 'best looking' - if not the rarest - of the three migrant Marbled's which arrived in south-east England during a late summer/early autumn heat wave, the rare one being the Shining Marbled, and the other being Small Marbled....Thanks Ian. 

And by the way....if its stunning macro photography you're looking for Here it is

I'D SOONER BE BIRDING!....tomorrow again hopefully.

Picture This!

If the truth be known there are as many birders who take excellent photographs and who visit Birds2blog as there birders who don't take photographs at all, these photographers are always pleased to find a decent pic or two on here whilst I share their brilliant work with everyone. So we have an all winners situation here and that's really good and just what I like the blog to be, a show-ground, an advertising tool....Oh, and I also get out birding on occasion's and can then pass on my records.

So here are four of the most recent photographs I have found on the various websites, plus one sent to me by a birder who often helps me out of some of the holes I find myself in from time to time....it ain't what you know, its who you know! 

    Bee-Eater Antonio Puigg  

Some birds display some truly amazing colours and the Bee-Eater must be one of the most colourful to be found in the UK on occasion's, I have seen multi reports of them today including two in East Yorkshire.

Knot Brian Rafferty

Our own Knot changes from its less colourful winter plumage into the red summer coat as shown in this excellent image which includes the very smart Grey Plover also in its summer breeding plumage.

Red Kite Phillip Tomkinson  

The Red Kite is one of a few magnificent birds of prey resident in this country and has been the subject of a successful reintroduction scheme in recent times as opposed to other species of raptor some of which are staring extinction in the face....just for being birds of prey.

Slavonion Grebe David Cookson

In its subdued winter plumage the Slavonion Grebe becomes a little black and white job, but the grebes are all delightful birds.

And finally....

Common Rosefinch. Copy Permitted.

Here's another one of the Common Rosefinch featured a couple of times in recent posts on Birds2blog.

The end is nigh....

....but still not here just yet. Regarding my enforced retirement from birding the end is certainly nigh but not quite there yet but getting nearer by the week, day even.

For several years I've been keeping a record on 'Bird Behaviour and other oddities' which has drawn up quite a few interesting results. It's hard to decide the most interesting of these records but one or two come to mind which are stranger than most. I think a good example would have to be the Bar-tailed Godwit seen at Rossall Point on the Fylde Coast, this bird was in full summer plumage on 9 December 1995. The Bar-tailed Godwit at Rossall Point is in itself something of a record as it's a species rarely see at the location. 

Another record in the book was that of a Cuckoo which I observed at Barbondale on 14 June 1997 at close range through a telescope, the bird called repeatedly over a long period without opening its bill, this was a revelation to me, but it transpired this was a known fact and an interesting reply to the article - which was the subject in the 'Notes' section in British Birds - was from a correspondent who had spent several years in Pakistan, who had observed Common Cuckoo, Oriental Cuckoo, and Lesser Cuckoo in the Himalayan foothills, the observations made here were that 'all three species did in fact call without opening the bill' but goes on to add ' while the gular pouch, or throat, ballooned out visibly with each call'....fascinating stuff. 

Another fascinating record was that of a female Ruddy Duck at Leighton Moss on 10 October 1998 which had four recently hatched chicks in her company....a late breeder or what!

On the subject of the Ruddy Duck (RD), it was in disbelief that I read the estimated RD population in the UK stood at 4,400 birds when a cull of this duck was called for to save the White-headed Duck (WHD) from extinction at the hands of the RD which was found guilty of hybridisation with the WHD in Spain. It now transpires that a total of almost 7,500 RD's have been killed, not to the credit of the 'counters' on that one then. I personally find it hard to believe the RSPB and WWT supported this cull in the first place - but we'll leave that one hanging there shall we - perhaps even worse is that the government have now put up almost a quarter of a million pounds - to follow on from the £5m already sunk into this appalling exercise - to 'dispose' of the remaining 100 RD's....in these austere times I think this is called getting your spending priorities in order.


So, time for the pics....

Avocet. Cliff Raby.  

We've not seen many CR images on Birds2blog for while and the one of the Avocets is an excellent example followed by....

Red Kite. Cliff Raby.      

Another excellent example of the Red Kite. You can find many more photographs HERE thanks for these Cliff.

Short-eared Owl. Brian Rafferty.

A bit of an altercation going on here between BR's brilliant image of the two Short-eared Owls.

Great-crested Grebe. Brian Rafferty.

And the Great-crested Grebe has just found it's next meal in this pic. Please take a look at BR's website, thanks for these Brian.